Number 134 :(

Sadly Canada has lost another of our soldiers in Afghanistan as reported by the CBC in Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan.

This is the 134th military person to be killed in this conflict.

What a waste.

H1N1 Shots

Like a lot of people, I was betwicked and between whether we should get the H1N1 shot when it was available to us. Yesterday I had printed out and filled out a couple of consent forms and took them along when we went to the city today just in case. We did have some spare time so I drove to Prairieland Park and noticed there were not that many vehicles in the parking lot, so in we went.

With our forms all filled out, we scooted right through the initial line. Then you get to sit and watch about a 6 minute video on the H1N1 flu shot. From there you then got in line to await your turn to get your actual needle. This line took us about 45 minutes before we actually got to sit down and get our shots.

When we finally did get to the table to get our shot, the forms were scrutinized once again for correctness before we were given the shot. The young lady also wanted to ensure we didn't have the flu, or were sick in any way.

It was a bit funny in one aspect. On the 'Consent Form' you are asked "Are you/your daughter pregnant?". I of course checked off "NO" I am not pregnant. I also advised the young lady that I had no idea if my daughter was pregnant or not. It really isn't any of my business. But I did assure her that I was not pregnant in any way, shape or form.

With that all settled, the nurse gave us our shot and filled out our card. She then advised us that we both got the 'unadjuvanted' H1N1 flu shot. And here I thought that was the shot that was to be given to pregnant ladies. So maybe it wasn't all settled at all ?

We then got to sit and watch another video on the H1N1. You are supposed to sit and wait 15 minutes to ensure you don't get any side affects from the shot. From what I noticed, many people didn't wait 2 minutes and out they went. You can only hope they don't get a reaction once they have departed the building. We did in fact sit and watch the video and chat a bit and waited our 15 minutes before we departed.

All told it took just over an hour for us to get our shots. From some of the horror stories I have seen on TV lately, Saskatoon Health Region had planned very well for giving the shots. There were lot's of guides to show you where to go and what to do and all we came in contact with were very pleasant. Hats off to all the people involved.

Now if I can just get this pregant thing straightened out :) . . .

Add Another Death To The List

I always get the feeling when I read of one of our military members getting killed in Afghanistan that we are likely to have another death soon. The deaths seem to come in groups for some reason.

Yesterday the world was advised of the 133rd death of a Canadian military member in the story of Sapper Marshall remembered.

I can only hope the number stops at two and does not increase in total in the foreseeable future.

Poppy Time

It is that time of the year once again when we can 'officially' wear a poppy.

The Royal Canadian Legion dictates that the wearing of a poppy should only be worn during the Remembrance period, starting on the last Friday of October and ending at midnight on Nov. 11, or at other veteran-related special events. Of course civilians can and do wear poppies whenever they want. There is no law against this and to some people they feel it shows respect for our military all year long.

A few other reminders for 'Poppy' time as reported by CTV News in 2008 are as 'quote':

Poppy protocol:

- The poppy should be worn as close to the heart as possible or on the left lapel of the outermost garment.

- The poppy should only be worn during the Remembrance period, starting the on last Friday of October and ending at midnight on Nov. 11, or at other veteran-related special events.

- The poppy should never be defaced in any way including replacing its pin.

- An old poppy should never be reused. Appropriate disposal of the poppy is left to the discretion of each individual.

- Any poppies found lying on the ground would be best placed lying at the foot of a war monument or in a local cemetery.

Little known facts:

- Until 1996, poppies were handmade by veterans in Vetcraft workshops in Montreal and Toronto. The work provided a small source of income for disabled ex-service persons.

- While the traditional lapel poppy is the most popular, car models, large table varieties and metal pins are also available at most Legion branches.

- The centre of the poppy was originally black but was changed to green more than twenty years ago to represent the green fields of France. In 2002, it was changed back to black to reflect the actual colours of the poppies that grew in Flanders, Belgium.

- The poppy is an international "symbol of collective reminiscence."

- Poppies have been associated with those killed in combat since the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th century, more than 110 years before being adopted in Canada.

- Prior to the First World War, few poppies grew in Flanders. Trench warfare enriched the soil with lime from rubble, allowing "popaver rhoes" to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and poppies began to disappear again.

- In 1915, Guelph, Ont. native John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Canadian Forces Artillery, wrote about the poppy explosion in his famous poem In Flanders Fields.

- An American woman inspired by McCrae's poem wore the flower year round and exported the idea to Madame Guérin of France who sold the handmade poppies to raise money for poor children. Guérin later convinced friends in Canada to adopt the symbol as well. 'unquote'

The monies that local Legions make from the sale of the poppies and wreaths are used for the betterment and welfare of Veterans and their families in your local area. So the main thing is to purchase a poppy (or two, or three, or more), and wear them proudly during this time of the year (or all year if you are so inclined).

Lest We Forget

Loss Number 132 in Afghanistan

This morning we lost another military member in Afghanistan as reported by CBC in Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Lt. Justin Garrett Boyes, 26, was killed when his foot patrol was hit by the blast of an improvised explosive device, at about 9 a.m. local time, 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City in Panjwayi district.

Boyes grew up in Saskatchewan and belonged to the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Edmonton.

Increase The Count To 131

Sadly we are being informed of the 131th death of a Canadian Forces member this evening. Pte. Jonathan Couturier, 23 a member of 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment, based in Valcartier, Que., was killed when his vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device some 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.

The Toll Is Now 130

Sunday appears to be a bad day for the Canadian military of late. Canadian soldier killed by IED blast in Afghanistan reports the death of another soldier on Sunday. This is only 1 week since we were last advised of 2 soldiers being killed on September 6th.

Even though the current soldier that was killed was announced immediately to the media the military had put an embargo on the news so the media could not report on the death until today.

The Toll Increases


Sadly we are hearing about two more Canadian military members being killed in Afghanistan. Bodies of 2 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan head home

They were killed on Sunday when a roadside bomb hit their armoured vehicle.

129 Canadian soldiers have been killed serving in the Afghanistan mission since 2002.

Gorgeous Lake (and Harvest) Weather

We finally made the decision to 'make a break' for the lake last week. Even though I was offered weekend work at the Hardware, I decided to head north instead. I finished up my cleaning routines on Friday night and then only had the paper delivery for Saturday morning. Once the papers were delivered we hit the road.

The traffic was minimal so early in the morning as most of the major traffic travelling on Friday evening. We made great time and arrived at the cabin around 10:15 a.m. The weather got warmer the more we drove. The sun was out and the wind was down. Craig arrived about an hour and a half after us.

Craig and I got to work and put the chain saw to work and got some dead falls cut up for firewood. We then got a smoke going and sat around the fire and chatted the afternoon away. For supper we fired up the BBQ and had a steak, potato and trimmings. It was an early to bed evening as we both had been up bright and early.

Sunday was about the same, except I let Craig do the work and I just got to sit and supervise. The weather was just great and we wished we could stay, but of course I had papers bright and early Monday morning. We departed at 5:10 p.m. arriving home at 7:30 p.m.

It was just a nice little get away for a only a short time, but it was worthwhile. I'm not sure whether we'll get another chance this coming fall or not. It would be nice. I'm hoping I don't have to make a quick one day trip to draining the water and close up for the winter. With the long weekend coming up, maybe we'll get another chance to head north. The weather is supposed to be staying nice and warm.

We'll see...

Autumn in August

I was just walking home from downtown and noticed the chill in the air (temp 18.6 C). I also noticed that quite a few trees in the Cenotaph park have their leaves starting to turn yellow.

In the last day or so, the majority of the purple martins have headed for warmer climes. Mind you the martins usually leave about the 12-15th of August, so that isn't much new. Actually quite a few of the bird population appears to be on the decline and their absence is certainly noted. It sure is starting to look and feel a lot like fall outside.



But wait; it's only August 14th. What the heck happened to summer? I think I can probably count on one hand the number of nice hot days we have had since June this year. The weather has been windy and cooler than normal this year. When we are fortunate enought to get a nice hot day, you only get one of them and then it is right back into the windy, cooler days again.

I was planning on going to the lake this weekend but then I heard the forecast (rain and cool temperatures) and figured we might as well stay home. Good thing too as Kevin called and wants me to work the lumberyard on Saturday and Monday as he needs to pick up a load of lumber up Glaslyn, SK way.

I might as well work as it certainly doesn't appear to be a great weekend for any outdoors activities . . .

The Toll Increases By Two

CBC is reporting the death of two more of our Canadian troops in Afghanistan in 2 Canadian soldiers killed in roadside bomb blast on Saturday.

That brings the total deaths of military members to 127.

Military Death

The CBC recently released a press report of the death of another soldier in Afghanistan as per Canadian soldier dies in Afghanistan and confirmed by the Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada.

This is the 125th death since the mission began in 2002 and is the 5th death this month.

We Will Remember Them

'Start of Something Good'

The weatherman has been saying we are going to have a great weekend with lots of sun and warmth. . .

I just returned from doing my morning papers and we definitely have lots of nice clear blue sky. Nary a cloud in sight. Mind you it is a wee bit on the cooler side with the temperature sitting at 5.6C when I started my walk.

Hopefully the skies will stay clear and some of the warmth of the sun can get down here and dry up some of the water that is still in puddles. Great haven for mosquitoes to grow :(

At least the weatherman has it partly right so far. Hopefully they are correct for the rest of the week and into the weekend.

Dang, It's Cold Out There

What a country! We had quite a cool spring this year and then it started to warm up and the countryside became too dry. Then about 2 weeks ago, the moisture started to come down and now we can't get the tap to turn off.

When I went out this morning at 5:45 a.m., it was 7C. That definitely is cool for July 11th. All through the hour walk it threatened rain, however, it held off until I was about 10 steps from my door. That was nice :)

This time of the year in our Province is 'Craven' time and our newest city has sprouted up north of Regina a bit. With all the rain that we have received in the last while, you can bet that Craven will be one huge mud pie. Throw in this cool weather and it makes for an uncomfortable time.

Then again, what will probably happen is those at Craven will just increase their anti-freeze level and keep on partying :)

Fun, fun, fun . . .

RJ and the Boys #3

I did finally get the last of the videos uploaded. I am not quite satisfied with the third one though. It is probably the best of the three, however, it appears James was not able to record the whole song.

You can get a teaser at RJ and the Boys #3 or of course view the video here by clicking below.



If you ever get a chance to see the group live, don't pass it up. They are certainly worth the time to go and view them.

As a side note, if I was David (the drummer), I would be strongly giving James a few pointers on how to focus the camera and getting the whole band included on the video :)

RJ and the Boys #2

Whew, I got another of the videos uploaded to YouTube. Are they are large!

To access the next video, you can click on RJ and the Boys #2 or you can view it through the blog by clicking below.

Who Is A Veteran

I find it quite interesting that as I posed my question a couple posts ago about who actually qualifies as a veteran, the Legion Magazine just publishes in their July-August 2009 magazine with a quotation of exactly who qualifies as a veteran.

To quote the magazine . . .

Quote

"So who is a veteran? Successive generations of Legionnaires have debated who is a veteran, sometimes to the chagrin of many who have served Canada both in wartime and in peacetime.

In the year 2000, The Royal Canadian Legion at its Dominion Convention in Halifax took an extraordinary step and debated the question. By the end of the discussion, a definition of who is a veteran was accepted and it is:

""A veteran is any person who is serving or who has honourably served in the Armed Forces of Canada, the Commonwealth or its wartime allies; or who has served in the Merchant Navy or Ferry Command during wartime.""

In contrast, the definition of a veteran later approved by Veterans Affairs Canada and the the Department of National Defence is:

""A veteran is a former member of the Canadian Forces or Reserve Force who has met the military's occupational classification requirements and has been honourably discharged from the Canadian Forces.""

The primary difference between the two definitions is that the Legion recognizes those who are currently serving as veterans. In keeping with The Legion's mission "to serve veterans and their dependants" and in concert with our Purposes and Objects, the Legion definition permits us to advocate as an independent voice on behalf of all veterans including those currently serving in the CF.

Canadians who volunteer to serve in the Canadian Forces understand that they have an unlimited liability to serve. We, as Legionnaires, understand that we have an unlimited obligation to advocate on their behalf, to recognize every one of them as veteran, and to support them."

Unquote . . .

It is very apparent from the above that all ex-members of the CAF are classed as veterans and derserve the assistance from the local Legions. The local Branches should not be able to pick and choose who they feel are veterans and deserving of their help and disregarding others that are just as deserving of assistance.

Apology to the Veterans

The other day the headlines blared out that we had lost another member of our military in Afghanistan when Cpl Nicholas Bulger was killed in action. I kept my eye on the flag pole in our Cenotaph Park to see if the flag was half masted as has been done in the past with all military deaths.

Not a sign of activity at the flag pole was noticed even though it was a weekend and the local Legion's President and the Ladies Auxiliary President were home all weekend.

I thought that maybe they just missed the death even though it was all through the news media (ie TV, paper, radio, etc). Maybe they turned off their hearing aids and lost their glasses for the weekend? Or did they just not know what the Branch did to pay respect for fallen members of military?

Then we had the next announcement of another member of the military succumbing to his injuries due to the war in Afghanistan Soldier dies from injuries sustained in Afghanistan.

I just returned from down town and checked out the flag staff and nope, there is no flag to be seen as the picture will certify.

Empty Flag Pole

It is noted that at the Hanley Legion's monthly meeting of June 4th, 2008, it was voted on to lower the flag at our local Cenotaph Park to half mast on the death of any military members in Afghanistan. The 15 members in attendance at the meeting voted in favour of this submission.

With the new President taking over the reigns of the Branch on April 1st, 2009, you would expect him to be up to speed on what has transpired at the Branch for the last year. Afterall, that is why the incoming President was a vice President for the previous 3 years at the Branch. The motion to remember our fallen military members was voted on legally by the members of the Branch. To change this ruling would need to have another vote by members of the Branch. No one member can unilaterally change a vote on their own. Unfortunately the Hanley Branch does not meet during the summer months. To my thinking, if you wish to change a ruling you should follow the guidelines at least until a legal meeting and official vote takes place.

I personally don't think this is quite correct that we failed to honour the fallen military members. I have resigned from the local Hanley Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and will move to another Branch for my own reasons. For the current members of the Branch, I would think it is incumbent on you to query your President to ascertain his thoughts as it pertains to previously voted on resolutions from the Branch.

For those interested, I have done a bit of searching around and have listed the addresses of other Branches of the Royal Canadian Legion that are always looking for new/transferred members.

Nutana Branch, Royal Canadian Legion

Saskatoon Branch 63, Royal Canadian Legion

Saskatoon TVS Branch

Outlook Branch, Royal Canadian Legion

There are other Legion Branches in the area as well that will more than likely always be looking for new members. Give any of them a call to see what their views are.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

But getting back to my headline, I wish to apologize to all of our serving members in Afghanistan and other theatres of action at present. Members of the Hanley Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion do remember you and thank you for all of your service to your country and to the citizens of Afghanistan.

I for one truly thank you for all of your service. Be advised there are many, many more veterans in this area and all throughout Canada that also thank you for your service and wish you all the best and a safe return home to Canada.

Just Wondering ??

After recently resigning from the local Royal Canadian Legion; I got to wondering who is actually supporting our Legion and the Legion members in the current times.

As all veterans are more than amply aware, there are getting to be fewer and fewer members that would be classed as 'veterans of the World Wars'. Heck, there are getting to be fewer and fewer veterans of the Korean War conflict. Age is just catching up to all and sadly, old age is taking our 'World War' veterans from us at a very quick rate. That is not to say we don't still have military veterans that are still needing our assistance and help.

I did find it very frustrating, that an older person who was a member of the military during World War II who actually never left his home and served for a maximum of 5 years (usually less) in the Armed Forces, is treated with a way more respect than a member of the more recent Armed Forces who spent years in Bosnia, Cyprus, Vietnam, Israel, etc and has served for close to 20 years year in the military. Now I'm not taking away anything from the older 'vets'. They were willing to go, but just were not called up for one reason or the other. But the younger military person is/was also ready 'to go' where his country desired and into some very dicey situations. Some of the postings the newer members of our Armed Forces have been sent to are certainly no walk in the park, yet until recently, the general public has had no real respect for our military.

It is only recently when our military members have been killed in action in Afghanistan, that the people of Canada are taking a closer look at our military members. I'm sorry, but our military has been serving in very hostile spots since the Korean War, just the average Canadian has no idea or information on their service. Try a nice 3 year transfer to the city of Moscow (or Berlin or Saigon) in the early 70's. Do you think this would be an easy place to live with what was going on with the Cold War at the time? These people lived in 'hell' at the time, but no one worried about them. How about manning the barricades in Cyrpus (the Congo, Israel, Somalia, etc) in the steaming heats for months at a time with no contact with your family. Just a cake walk as at least there was no snow! Then we did get to a spot in Bosnia where our soldiers were actually involved in fire fights,etc. Many of the soldiers of the time ended up with PTSD and other medical problems, but of course it wasn't recognized as a real medical problem, so they ended up with no help. There are numerous places that our military members served with no real recognition and suffered more than most can even imagine.

So now we get to a point in the 'real world' where the Royal Canadian Legion's are trying to help our 'veterans'. Up until recently the recent military members were not even a blip on the Legion's radar. However, at least we had some former military members involved in the Legion to bring our current vets problems to the forefront. Sadly, as more and more veterans pass on or give up their interest in the Legions, the Legions are turning to Associates and Affiliate members who have no prior military background. Some of these people have no idea of the trials and tribulations our military members have gone through during the years. Sadly some are involved in the Legion just for the social element and have no thought to help our veterans. Now don't get me wrong, there are many, many Associates and Affiliates members that are doing a super job of carrying on the tradition of the Legion and their mandate. But, there are getting to be more and more that are just in the Legion for the social aspect of the organization or to put on a show that they 'give their all for the community and our veterans'. Sorry, but the sham shows through to those veterans and others that actually put their lives and careers on the line for their country.

From all I have read, eventually the Royal Canadian Legion as we know it, will be no more. There will be no more veterans of the World Wars left. The current veterans of conflict are not joining the Legion ranks to any great degree. So who is left to carry on the traditions and the usefulness of the Legion? The Associates and Affiliates and current military members, that's who. The only problem is that the majority of these people have no idea what a real military member (then or now) goes through to protect Canada and our allies or they don't have any inclination to be a part of the Legion (ie former military members). Certainly the un-military can read a bit and talk to a few veterans, but to actually 'walk a mile in a veteran's shoes' is what is really needed. Hopefully, the world will be able to settle our conflicts without having declared or undeclared wars. If that is the case, then eventually the 'reason for the existence of the Royal Canadian Legion' will cease (ie to assist our Veterans).

At that time, the 'wanna be's' will have to find another organization they can join so they can say they care and are there for our veterans. The only problem is that the military will still have veterans that will need our help (probably more than we now have). They just don't require a place to have a beer or two and a place to socialize. They need real help in a hospital or out patient for PTSD or other medical problems that the average Canadian has no idea even exist or existed. The ordinary citizen of Canada has no real interest in their problems or even care to be associated with a 'trained killer' from the Canadian military. They want to say they are helping our military members, but they don't even recognize the new military let alone help them.

What a crock :(

So what I was wondering about, is what happens to our military members of now. How do we look after them in the future when they can no longer serve the country due to sickness, infirmity, etc. Hopefully the Legion will be able to change and move towards helping these people as they have so aptly done for our veterans of the World Wars and Korea and the past. And hopefully the military members of today will accept the help of an organization such as the Royal Canadian Legion to assist them in their future trials and tribulations of life.

I/we can only hope.

RJ and the Boys #1

James had his camera working overtime at the recent appearance of RJ and the Boys at Bud's on Broadway. I have uploaded one of the videos to YouTube with two more to go. These are very large files to upload so it takes a while. Here is the first one for your viewing pleasure.....




The video is quite large, so you may have better luck actually viewing through YouTube. The link is:RJ and the Boys #1

The Quiet Was So Nice

I was awakened at an earlier hour than I normally want to be awake on a Sunday morning. Someone wanted some work done on their computer so decided to call at 8:40 a.m. to enquire when they could bring it over. Of course Sunday is the only day of the week that I get to lay back in bed and just roll over and log a few more zees. Not today though.

While I was up and waiting for the computer to arrive I thought it was a downright great looking day so I figured I might as well hit the links for a game of golf. I gave James a call and we were set for a 10:00 a.m. tee off.

There was a slight breeze but just enough to keep the mosquitoes away and to keep a person cool. So it was very enjoyable. But what really got me hit me on the 6th hole when I looked around and could see probably 10 other people on the course. The real nice thing was there wasn't a motorized golf cart to be seen. Everyone was walking with their carts. For some reason it just seemed to be so much more peaceful. You could hear the birds singing away and you didn't have to put up with the mechanical noises.

Nowadays a lot of motorized carts are electric so there is not a lot of noise to them. For awhile there all newer carts were electric, however, in the last while I have seen a few more gas ones showing up. Of course they are a bit noisier and stinkier than electric carts. Some folks figure they are better because they can go faster and what not. As for me, I prefer to walk as I'm out there to relax and not just tear around from one hole to the next. I'm also in it for a bit of exercise and you don't get too much exercise by sitting in a cart zooming around. Too each their own though.

All in all it was a nice comfortable round of golf. Not a terrific score, but I didn't embarrass myself either. James and I actually ended up shooting the same score which is nice in that neither one bettered the other. Just a real nice way to spend a Sunday morning that was wrecked with the early call :)

One Knock Against Small Town Living

What follows is a made up situation that in no way should point towards any person in our community or any community I'm familiar with. It is a 'what if' or 'what could be' situation only that could happen in any town or city.

We all know how in small towns everyone knows everyone else (or just about so). The one problem with this is the rumours that can and are started on a daily basis. Let's say for example that a couple of guys decide to head over to the local watering hole to have another wobbly pop (of which they have had a few already). As they are sitting down, one of the fellows looks around to ensure that the pair have no one around and tells his mate of the the latest rumour he has heard or wants to make up. 'One of the local ladies is having a go around with one of the local men when her hubby is away working' They are joking of course and mean no harm in a little harmless talking. Now of course the fellow cautions his mate that this is just a rumour and not to repeat it to anyone else. The other fellow agrees and they finish their refreshment and move on.

You just know of course that there was someone else listening behind the corner (behind the door or wherever) or the mate just can't keep it to himself and the rumour starts to take on a world of it's own. The next thing you know you hear that the lady in question had a 'sleep over' with said man as his truck or car was parked outside her house all night long a couple days ago. Her husband was away working and wasn't able to get home for the night. Of course there was a very valid reason why the vehicle was parked at the house, but that is never revealed. This goes on and on and on. The next thing you hear is that the lady is pregnant, it is a wife swapping exchange, divorce, yada yada yada.

In small towns the local cafe is where most folks gather and swap tales. It would probably take about 1/2 a day for the above rumour to hit the local coffee circle. Of course every time it is told, the story is embellished upon. The next time the lady in question, her paramour or the husband/wife enters the cafe the conversation just dies. You have to wonder what they were talking about?

Now getting back to our original two thirsty gents . . . They finally wander into the coffee circle and hear the latest rumour only to be totally aghast as this is the one they started with each other as a joke or in jest. It just can't be, we meant nothing by it and we all know that the people in question would never get involved in something like this. It is just wrong. So of course they offer their apologies to the people involved and all is well again? This would be not the normal as usually no one knows where a certain rumour starts or who started it.

In a real world this would be the end of the story, however, as with most rumours it is not the end . . .

The trouble with this is that the rumour is out there and folks that have nothing better to do will just keep it moving and enlarging the rumour over and over and over again. Sure some folks will just mark it down as rumour but there definitely will be some that take it very much serious and think it is the gospel. Quite likely the reputation of some very nice people have been ruined by a stupid comment amongst just a couple of thirsty guys with nothing better to do. Once there is a question mark put on the morality of a person or the person's particular character, it is very, very hard to get it back.

The above scenario can certainly happen in a city as well as a smaller town, however, in the city your chances of someone actually knowing who the heck you are, who the people in the rumour are or really caring what the heck you are even talking about is very minute. Whereas some in small towns just live for a such good juicy rumour.

As I said when I first started this story, it is just a 'story' and there is no reality to it that I know of. It is not meant to point to anyone in particular and is only written about as one of the harsher living conditions of a town compared to a city.

It is definitely a wake up for those folks that start rumours or pass them on. You are not just having a bit of fun, you are hurting real people.

To my thinking, living in a Town has a way more positives than negatives, however, you do have to realize that there are some negatives out there as well.

You know I wonder if that is why I never or very rarely stop at the local coffee shop and instead drive the 30-45 minutes to the city to have a cup of java at one of the A & Ws. Naw, it must be that A & W has such great coffee :)

What A Nice 'Fall' Day

As I headed outside first thing this morning, the weather was just not very nice. Very overcast and cool with a temperature of 4 C. The wind was down though so at least that is a plus. The last while has been crazy the way the wind has been so strong and of course coming out of the north. The only problem is that it is now June 6th and not November 6th. It just seems we can't get 2 warm days in a row and we can't get spring started let alone summer . . .

Oh heck just think in a short two weeks the days will start to get shorter :)

Smells So Nice . . .

I just returned from my morning paper rounds and all during the hour walk it drizzled rain. The first couple of steps out of the house and you could just smell the difference in the air. According to my gauge we have had about 1 millimetre which isn't much rain, but what a difference even this little bit makes.

In my mind it could drizzle all day long and it wouldn't bother me. However, for those in the farming industry that are not finished planting they may disagree. But in reality I think most folks would like a good rain as it is just so dry out there.

We'll see, but for now I'm just enjoying the fresh smell as the rain comes down . . .

Brrrrrr

The weather sure has been horrible this spring. Cold and windy all the time. It just doesn't want to warm up and give us some good old sun. Here it is May 30th at 6:55 a.m. and my darn furnace just cut in.

I just returned from doing my papers and during my walk I certainly did find it cool. In fact I should have had on gloves. It wasn't quite togue time, but darn close :(

A Saga Ends

Thank goodness the Town decided to end their dealings with the man who said he would bring prosperity to 'small town Saskatchewan' before they got in too deep. The fellow was not charged over anything he did Hanley, but it would appear he carried his aspirations a little too far on the national stage.

Gordon Carl Summers - Prison Sentence

The thought of Vigor BioPharma Inc and curing cancer is certainly a great thought, however, it appears their 'frontman' was overstepping a bit.

He'll now have a few years to reflect on his course in life.

Curling Just About Done

Today the Seniors had their last curling day of the season. It has been decided to close down the plant after this coming weekend and the Mixed Curling Bonspiel. The Parks and Recreation have an auction slated for April 4th and they are going to hold it in the curling rink (on the ice surface). Now it takes a good 10 days to get the ice out and the cement cleaned up before the auction can be held. Hence the closing down of the curling plant this coming Sunday evening/Monday morning.

Now I'm not sure if I'll be curling in the Square draws on Tuesday or Thursday this week. If not, then that will be all for my curling season. One nice thing is that today I was handling the Skip job and we actually went out on a winning note. We were tied up coming home with the other team having last rock. I threw my first rock and missed a takeout, but on my second rock I hit what I wanted to hit and had a bit of a roll behind cover. The opposing Skip was narrow on his takeout attempt so we ended up counting 1. Overall, I curled 11 games in the Seniors league and had 7 wins and 4 losses. This was the first year I curled as a Third so I was happy with the outcome.

It is interesting talking to a few of the curlers after today's game though. A lot of the people are getting up in years, so their comment normally is whether or not they will be taking part next year. One due to availability (ie live or dead), and another is if they can due to knees, legs, etc. I haven't reached that limit yet (thank goodness), so hopefully I'll be able to get my weekly dose of exercise in about 9 months :)

What a Bad Blogger I Am :(

I have had so much on my plate of late, I just haven't been able to get my fingers around the keyboard to put up much on this blog. . .

I got involved with the beta of the new Windows 7 and have it installed on one of my computers. Then I decided to pick up a new computer (8 GB RAM, 1 GB video card, etc), so then I had to try and transfer all my files etc to the new computer and get Sam set up on my old one (the one with Windows 7 on it). There was a learning curve for Sam as she had recently been using the XP system. So she missed Vista and the new 7 is very much based on a Vista computer. Actually if I read correctly, anyone upgrading to the new Windows 7 and using XP, will have to format and do an install. There is no upgrade available from XP to 7. If you are using Vista, then you can upgrade to 7 though. Now I'm not certain of the XP thing, but that is what I have read a few times. Anyhow, computers have been taking up a bit of my time of late.

Then because my days are not busy enough as it is I was convinced to take on a new task of creating a website for the Town of Hanley. The Town wanted to get their presence out on the Web. I did some work on the site and now the powers to be have to decide if they want to go ahead with the site or just what.

I also created and run another blog for the Hanley Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and it decided to get corrupted the other day. So I have been frantically trying to get it back up and running. I tried and tried, however, I couldn't retrieve previous posts so I just started over. The feeling is that I'd rather get the blog up and running and I can always try to recover previous posts later on.

Add to the above, I have been very busy with computer repairs of late. Lot's of new customers which is nice.

Of course I'm also into curling at this time of the year. Predominately I enrolled in the Senior curling for Monday's. But then I was used as a spare on Tuesday evening and on Thursday evening on a fairly regular basis. So lots of time has been spent at the curling rink.

My Tuesday mornings have been taken up with the Seniors Center and playing pool. There is about 7-8 fellows who go down and shoot 3-4 games every Tuesday morning. I missed as I was so tired after papers I went back to bed. They called me and insisted I come down for a few games. So if I'm home I try and get down for 9:00 a.m. and keep my shooting skills up.

Of course I'm still delivering the Saskatoon Star Phoenix every morning. Thankfully that usually only takes an hour or so. The bad part is that the papers are supposed to be deliver prior to 7:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday. I usually get up between 5:30 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. and get them done. The cool weather has not been nice lately, but at least I do see a warm up in the weather forecasts to come.

Then just because; I also was convinced to take on the caretaker position of the Centennial Hall effective today. The person currently in the position wanted to move on as they had held the position for quite awhile and their life was getting so busy. The feeling is that it should only take me 15-20 hours a week out of my time. Of course that is once I get used to doing what I have to do on a daily basis. Then when there is something going on for the weekend (ie curling spiel, etc) I'll have a few more hours. I'm not really sure of the time commitment, but I'll definitely give it a go and see what I can do.

So all in all, I just haven't had a lot of spare time to actually sit down and compose something for the blog. Lot's of thoughts, but just not the time to get it submitted. Hopefully my time will start to slow down just a bit as it seems like I'm running out of steam just about every day.

That is not what retirement is supposed to be like, is it? Hope not anyway . . .

Road Information

Quite a few people travel back and forth to Saskatoon via Highway 11. In the winter months, you are always worried about travelling through the Blackstrap valley. The Department of Highways takes good care of the roads through the valley, however, it does take them a bit to get to the area to sand and plow. So it would be nice to have a bit of advance knowledge.

Yesterday I was advised of a tool that can be used to check out a part of the highway right in the valley. This is a camera and it is streamed online. The camera also updates every 30 seconds, so you can get a basic idea of what is happening in the valley at any particular point in time. Of course it can't show great detail of the road, so you can't actually see black ice, but you can see snow, blowing snow, etc. As well you can see the vehicles travelling through the area.

The camera can be watched at the following web address:

Blackstrap Camera

Used in conjunction with the Highways 'Road Information', you can make up your mind whether to travel through the area or not. The Department of Highways road information can be found at:

Saskatchewan Winter Road Conditions

Check it out. . .

PS: There is also a camera being setup at Davidson, however, it is not operational as of yet. The link for this camera is:

Davidson Camera

Do Not Call List

Canada's new 'Do Not Call' list doesn't appear to be doing what it is supposed to as reported by Global TV on January 14th, 2009. Surprise, surprise.

I did register my phone on this list and I do think that my calls have gone down.

However, as a general rule what we follow in our household. We just don't answer any calls that show 'Unknown Name' or 'Unknown Number' unless we recognize the number only. I realize that a lot of people don't list their cell phones when they call, but if they call me they just very may end up with my message manager. If they leave a message I'll give them a call back, but don't expect me to answer the call. As a matter of fact you can have SaskTel block your telephone for you and the caller with 'Unknown Name/Number' gets a recording stating that the caller doesn't answer calls with unknown details. You need at least a number to get through. Now some of the telemarketers are using bogus numbers to get through to this setting. That's why I just don't answer the darn things unless I recognize the number. If you are a friend or acquaintance and you only show a number you'd better hope I have a good memory. The wife answers absolutely zero of these calls as well.

The same goes for '800' numbers or numbers with area codes that we don't normally get calls from (ie any code other than 306). We just don't answer the phone and 3 rings later the caller gets our message manager. They can then leave a message. If the caller doesn't leave a message, I just delete the call and forget about it. If there is a message and we are at home, I'll listen to the message and if warranted, return the call. No message, no talk to me.

I was getting calls from an 800 number that looked like it was from Sears (according to a look up on the Internet). I do deal with Sears, however, they showed 'Unknown Name' so we didn't answer the call as it could very well be just a telemarketer. The same number called almost every day for a couple weeks and not once did they leave a message. Now we seldom receive calls from this number any longer. My thinking is that any reputable company/business would want to advertise their name. If they don't, then don't expect me to answer on spec.

Now whether it is just a coincidence that our calls have decreased after the implementation of the 'Do Not Call List' or our refusal to answer these unknown calls; all I know is that the number and frequency of the calls have drastically declined and that is a good thing :)

Idiots Out There

I made it through the morning papers and the drifts of snow. Then it was off to the curling rink for the morning game. Due to some sickness we were short a player, however, we recruited a 2nd from another rink and got the game under way. Sadly, we ended up with a big 'L'. Oh well, there is always next week.

After the game we headed for home for a quick bite to eat and then headed for the city for Sam's INR check up. After last nights semi blizzard the roads were actually in decent shape. The passing lane had a bit of snow and ice, but really not that bad. I was able to travel near 100 to 105 Kph.

About half way into the city I looked in the rear view and saw a car coming up quite fast. There was a single occupant in the vehicle. As he zoomed by me I just had to shake my head. The idiot was reading a book or magazine as he was driving. He had the magazine situated in the steering wheel and was reading and changing pages. I would estimate his speed at somewhere near 130 to 140 kph so he was in quick order out of sight.

It is hard to believe someone would be so stupid to travel the roads in the conditions we had. I can only speculate what this guys response would be if he either had an accident or caused an accident. Likely something like, "gee, I was just driving along minding my own business". Yah right, and you don't have one clue :(

You just have to shake your head at the stupidity of some people . . .

Time Just Flying

It appeared that I just got over the Remembrance Day ceremonies and then I was getting prepared for the Legion bonspiel on January 2nd, 3rd & 4th. Trying to get bartenders lined up (impossible task), ordering the liquor & beer, picking up the orders, purchasing items at the store, etc. etc.

Before I knew it, Friday the 2nd was here. I started going just after lunch and picked up all my orders and got them delivered to the Hall. The fridge stocked up and got everything ready to go for 5:00 p.m. This year I really didn't want to curl as I just run out of time as it is. Having to curl at least 3 games only impacts the time shortage more. But, because of the weather for the weekend, I did indeed end up curling. We had hoped for 32 rinks, but had to settle for 24 (ours included). This is still a respectable number of rinks though. I did hear that a town east of Regina also had a bonspiel scheduled for the same weekend as Hanley. They could only muster 7 rinks. It certainly is hard to run any kind of a bonspiel with that few rinks.

Back to our spiel though. At 5:00 p.m. we got the bar open and everyone was getting ready to curl. Our team had to hit the ice at 7:00 p.m. so I got a couple guys to man the bar and out I went. Of course we got our butts kicked, but we scared the other team for the first couple ends when we scored. After that we just were not strong enough to keep up. Go figure :)

Then it was back to helping out in the bar area, picking up more beer, etc. All in all I got home at 3:45 a.m. Saturday morning. My head hit the pillow at 4:00 a.m. and I tried to get some rest. At 5:45 a.m. my alarm went off and I was up and at em to do my papers. Of course it had snowed and blew overnight and the temperature was sitting near -55 C when I headed out. Slogging through the snow just about did me in. Within 3 blocks my legs felt like they had lead weights on them.

However, I did manage to get the papers delivered. Got home and took a few hours of rest and hit the hall again near 11:00 a.m. We curled once again and of course got severely beaten. That meant we had to curl again at 9:00 p.m. Saturday night. We were able to get in a great roast beef supper though. This was in between watching the bar and sitting at the door selling tickets. But the supper was delicious.

The team headed out for our 9 p.m. appointment and immediately felt we were in away over our heads. Chalk up another loss. That's three strikes (games) and your out. So it was back to the hall and watched/listened to RJ & the Boys. We got to close the place up earlier than Friday though and we were home by 3:30 a.m. The nice part was no papers on Sunday so I got to snooze a bit longer. Even so, we were back at the hall shortly after 11:00 a.m.

Throughout the whole weekend, the cold was just brutal. I really appreciated all the people that came out and curled, watched, or just visited. Without them, the bonspiel would not have been a success at all. Sandra and I made it home right around 9:00 p.m. A whole lot tired, but not overly so. As I said earlier, it had blew and snowed all weekend and of course I did not find the time to shovel or snow blow the driveway out. I was dreading trying to plow through the drifts when we got home. To my surprise, one of my great neighbours had snow-blowed the sidewalk and the driveway, so it was clean driving into the garage. You just have to love super neighbours like that!

Monday morning of course is the senior's curling, so I was up early doing the papers, then down to the rink and some more curling. At least I ended up on a winning rink for a change. Prior to heading off for curling I had already received 8 computer repair calls though. After lunch I returned my supplies to the various stores and fixed up two computers. Then I got to rest at home for a bit. Of course I had laundry to do, but heck that is just loading up the washer and then folding after drying. Nothing too tasking other than time.

Onto Tuesday and off we went to the city so Sam could get her INR checked. I also had a computer to look at in the city and a new HD TV to hookup for a fellow. Got that all done and home by supper time. Success both with the TV and with the computer.

Wednesday I got a couple more computers done and not much else. Thursday the same.

Then the weekend hit and I could hardly believe it that here I sit typing and it is already January 11th. Half the darn month is just about gone.

Seeing as today was a nice quiet day I got back to doing my normal laundry today, and decided to clean the oven. It had gotten a bit dirty from cooking over the holidays. Of course yesterday I finally got around to taking down the Christmas tree and putting the decorations away. As I was pulling down the tree, I must of turned the wrong way or something as I must of stretched something in my back. It hurts like all get out. Every time I rolled over last night in bed I woke up from the pain. It almost seems like a 'stitch', so I'm hoping I can work it out. And actually after reaching in and doing the oven it does feel a bit better. Hopefully that is a good sign.

Tomorrow, we have curling in the morning and then as expected we have to head back to the city for Sam's INR. With last weekend being so screwed up, her levels are out of wack, so we have to go in and get it checked again. Hopefully they are back in sync once again after a more normal week.

I normally don't make any New Year's resolutions as you just never seem to keep them up, however, I do want to try and hit the blog a bit more often this year. I have been trying to set up a new blog for the Legion (which seems to be working fine) and a web page for the town. The town still hasn't decided whether they want to go with what I set up or not. If not, then maybe we can get something else set up for them. I told them I was no pro, but I would do what I could for them. We'll see.

Even with the month tearing by, I do seem to be finding a bit more free time. Heck, I actually sat back and read a book for a couple hours the other day. That doesn't happen too often as I just don't seem to get the time. So maybe we are on a roll and I'll find a bit more free time to spend on the blog.

Hope so :)